Fire-escape.



Nu. 638,080. Patented Nov. 28, |899. D. A. TREADWAY.

F I H E E S C A P E [Application filed May 2, 18994) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

vllillllllllllll No. 638.080. Patented Nov. 28, |899. f D. A. TREADWAY.

FIRE ESCAPE.

(Application led May 2, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNrTED STATES PATENT EEICE.

OTIS A. TREADWAY, OF ABERDEEN, MARYLAND.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

sPEcIFIoAE'roN forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,080, datedNovember as, 1899.

Application le. May 2, 1899. Serial No. 715,354. (No model.)

To if/ZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, OTrs A. TEEADwAY, a 'citizen of the United States,and a resident of Aberdeen, Harford county, State of Maryland, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and mypre'- 'ferred manner of carrying out the invention is set forth in thefollowing full, clear, and exact description, terminating with claimsparticularly specifying the novelty.

This invention relates to fire-escapes of that class which utilize anendless carrier; and the object of the same is to produce a practicaldevice for permanent attachment to tall buildings, such as hotels andthe like, whereby escape therefrom in case of lire is rendered easy, ifnot certain, to the stupeed and half-overcome victims, as Well as toothers enjoying their presence of mind, though, possibly, terriblyexcited.

To this end the invention consists, broadly, in an upright well or cageof a height corresponding with the number of stories in the building andhaving openings or doors opposite each of said stories, means for movingthe entire well laterally of the building and by an operator standing onthe ground or on a running-board carried by the well, an endless carrieror elevator within such well for permitting the descent of the victims,and means for controlling the descent of said carrier by the operatorstanding on the ground or on said board; and the invention consistsparticularly in the specific details for carrying out this general idea,all as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as shown in theaccompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a general perspective viewof this device complete, showing it in position on a three-storyhouse,although it should be understood that I do not limit myself to thenumber of stories nor to the height of the tire-escape. Fig. 2 is avertical section of the same, showing one platform about falling intoplace at the top, other platforms opposite each iioor, and still anotherplatform in position ready for the exit of the victim. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a detailelevation of the connectingshaft, shown in dotted lines at the bottom ofFig. 2, for communicating power from the main shaft at the front tothelowermost sprocket-shaft at the rear of the wheel.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 desigL nates, broadly, a well or cageentirely of metal and preferably slatted, as seen in the drawings,'andthe specific construction of this well is not important. 2 is a ladderor a series of ladders which may be attached to one orboth sides thereoffor the use of firemen and others, if desired. 3 is a running-boardsupported by any suitable form of braces 4 at the front side of thiswell, which is open, as seen at 5. Said Well has openings 6, so spacedas to come opposite the windows in the respective floors of thebuilding, and it also has an exit-opening 7 near the ground andpreferably on one side.

10 10 are horizontal tracks supported by suitable brackets 11 along theface of the building and engaged by wheels 12 (preferably toothed, asshown) and which are mounted on shafts 13, jourualed in bearings 14 inthe sides of the well, while 15 designates rollers which may travelagainst the face of said tracks. By preference the wheels have iianges12', which pass behind the track to prevent dislocation of the wheelstherefrom. Near the ground a power-shaft 15 is journaled in suitablebearings and driven by a hand-wheel 16, as shown, and this shaft isconnected by beveled gears 17 with the upright shaft 18, extending theentire height of the well and journaled in bearings attached thereto,and this shaft in turn is connected by beveled gears 19 with both or allthe horizontal shafts 13. Thus it will be seen that a cool-headed personstanding on the ground or on the running-board 3 can manipulate thehand-wheel 16 to cause the toothed wheels 12 to move on the tracks 10,and in this man ner the entire Well can be adjusted laterally of thebuilding, so as to bring its openings 6 opposite any desired windowstherein.

20 2O are endless' chains of the sprocket type moving oversprocket-wheels 2l, suitably journaled in the front wall of the well atits top, and over other sprocket-wheels mounted on a main shaft 23,jonrnaled in suitable bearings just above the opening 5, and 24. is ahand-wheel on one end of this shaft, by which it can be turned. On thisIOD e saoso shaft I also fasten a pulley 25, around which passes a band26, whose center at the rear of the pulley is fixed to a bracket 27 andwhose two ends at the front of the pulley are attached at differentpoints to a lever 28, which moves over a toothed segment 29 and may havea thumb-lever 30.

3l 31 are two endless chains also of the sprocket type and passing oversprocketwheels on shafts 32 32, journaled in suitable bearings on theback of the well or nextthe building.

33 is a connecting-shaft journaled in bearings on the side of the well,and this shaft 33 is connected by beveled gears 34 with the shaft 32 atthe back of the well as well as with the main shaft 23 at the front ofthe well. By this arrangement it will be seen that the two sets ofsprocketchains are caused to move in unison.

The numerals 40 designate platforms, of which there will be a suflicientnumber to permit the operation described below. Each platform preferablyhas at one edge a shaft 41, with pulleys 42 at or near its extremitiesto bear against the well, and the platform is notched, as at 43, topivotally receive certain links in the forward set of chains 20. Therear set of chains 31 31 carry at proper intervals links which haveprojections or ears 45, as shown, which projections are on the outerside of the chains. In addition to these details experience may suggestmuch else that I have not considered necessary to illustrate anddescribe in this connection. Obviously the exact sizes, shapes, andproportions of the parts are not essential, and considerable latitudemust be allowed the manufacturer and freedom to be exercised by thecontractor or builder.

The device being set up as shown in the drawings, it will be perfectlyclear that by manipulating the hand-wheel 16 the entire well can bemoved laterally across the face of the building to any point desired. Ifthe iames or smoke is too dense at one point, the fire-escape willobviously be moved elsewhere. In adapting veach escape to the buildingon which it is to be used one platform 40 will stand Within and acrossthe well just beneath each opening 6. The victims rush frantically toand out the windows and pass through these openings into the well andonto the platforms just mentioned. The fireman then loosens the brakeabove described, and the result is that the weight of one or morepersons on the platform will cause the latter to descend. The brake maybe manipulated to stop the descent, so that the very next platform canbe used to save another imprisoned person or the one person already inthe well can be lowered sufficiently to allow him to escape through theeXit 7. As each platform reaches the lower end of the well and the rearchains 31 pass under the lower shaft 32 their projections disengage thefree end of the platform and the latter swings downward and outwardthrough the opening 5 and ascends fiat against the front of the well, asseen in Fig. 1, the pulleys 42 assisting. Just as each platform passesover the upper front shaft 21 and drops into the well a pair ofprojections 45 on the rear chains comes into position to sustain theother edge of the platform in its descent. Obviously the hand-Wheel 24can be used for assisting the motion of the devices or in place of thebrake, if preferred.

The essential characteristics of this invention consist in the fact thatthe platforms while ascending or whilehanging out of use occupycomparatively no space, but while descending ready for use they standhorizontallyv across the interior of the well, 'where the most franticperson cannot possibly fail to find them.

A well-known objection to all fire-escapes now in use, so far as I amaware, is that in times of emergency the most skilful person loseshis'head and cannot operate the sim-4 plest device. This exigency Iavoid by having the operator on the running-board near the ground and byplaying only upon the instinct of the frightened victim, which willnaturally lead him out of the building and into the escape. Again, theobjection to elevators as such is that having been used they must beraised again, and in emergencies the imprisoned person or persons willnot wait for the elevator to rise, but often jump down the well. Thiscannot occur with my invention, because there is never a platform morethan one story below the exit-opening from the building. Still further,I might add that it is the weight of the victims that really operatesthis device, and all that is necessary for the fireman to do is to applythe brake as may be necessary. E

What I claim as new is 1. In a fire-escape, the combination with anupright well having entrance-openings next the building and anexit-opening at its lower end, platforms within said well, and means forregulating from the ground the descent thereof; of horizontal railssupported by the building, iianged wheels traveling thereon,- shaftscarried by the well and supporting said wheels, an operating-shaft atthe lower end of the Well, and connections between all of said shafts,as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination with an upright well havingentrance-openings next the building, and an exit-opening at its lowerend, platforms within said well, and means for regulating from theground the descent thereof; of horizontal rails supported by thebuilding, toothed wheels traveling thereon, shafts carried by the welland supporting said wheels, an operating-shaft at the lower end of thewell, an upright shaft carried by the well, and bevel-gears connectingthe latter shaftwith all the others, as and for the purpose set forth.

31 In a lire-escape, the combination with an upright well and means formoving it laterally IOO IIO

across the face of the building, the Well having inlet-openings in itsside adjacent said building and an exit-opening at its lower end; ofshafts at the top and bottom of said well, endless chains running overpulleys thereon, platforms carried by said chains and spaced tocorrespond with the stories of the building, and a brake on the lower ormain shaft, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a fire-escape, the combination with a shaft supported near the topof a building and having sprocket-wheels, a main shaft near the groundand also having sprocket- Wheels, endless sprocket-chains moving oversaid Wheels, and a series of platforms carried by the chains and adaptedto pass in front of the windows; of a pulley fast on said main shaft, aband attached at its center to a bracket in rear of this pulley, a leverin front of the pulley to which the ends of the band are attached atdifferent points, and a toothed segment and thumb-lever, all as and forthe purpose set forth.

5. In a fire-escape, the combination with two sets of upright endlesssprocket-chains, means for causing them to move in unison, and a brakefor retarding their movement from a position near the ground; of aseries of platforms pivoted to certain links in one set of chains, and aseries of projections attached to certain links in the other set ofchains, in such manner that the ascending platforms in falling intoposition to descend will have their free edges caught and their bodiesheld horizontal by said projections, all as and for the purpose setforth.

6. Inafire-escape, the combination with an upright well havinginlet-openings opposite the various stories of a building, two sets ofupright endless sprocket-chains, shafts near the top and bottom of saidWellcarrying wheels over which move said chains with their inner sidesWithin it and their outer sides respectively adjacent the building andon the face of the well which is outermost, other shafts and bevel-gearsconnecting these shafts to cause them all to move in unison,arunningboard carried by the Well, and a brake on the lower outermostshaft over said board; of a series of platforms pivoted to the forwardset of chains so as to hang vertical while ascending outside the well,and to fall over the upper front shaft into the Well, and a series ofprojections carried by the inner set of chains in position to catchand-sustain the other edges of said platforms as the latter fall intoposition, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my signature this the26th day of April, A. D. 1899.

O'lIS A. TREADVVAY.

VWitnesses:

CHAs. H. JACOBS, G. H. IvrNs.

